Nancy Drew and the Silver Band
by HeartSong88
Summary: Nancy Drew is a little forgetful, espcially when solving a mystery. So when Nancy forgets to call Ned and he goes missing? Nancy needs to deal with her feelings and find him. This case is close to home. rated K just in case.-Spoilers for certian games!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't OWN these characters just BORROWING them.

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Chapter1

Nancy sighed as she drove down a winded road. This road was located up high in the mountains and was almost completely desolate. It was so beautiful up here; and Nancy (not for the first time) was glad she had chosen to drive back to River Heights rather than take a plane. With her car hood down, Nancy's golden chin-length hair buzzed around her face. Someday Nancy mused, _someday I'll slow down and visit here for real; and Ned will be with me. _A small smile crept onto her lips as she thought about her wonderful, kind, understanding boyfriend. He always worried about her, but still let her do her thing. _I can't wait to see him!_ Nancy looked at her gas gage, it was in the middle, and she had enough to make it.

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Ned was in his room with the phone, waiting for Nancy to call. She said she would, he trusted her word. So eventually she would call. He looked at the clock dully, it red **6:30pm** in bold red numbers. She had to call! She promised she would! Ned looked out the stormy window where in was pouring buckets of rain. _At least California's weather is nicer than this. She probably got wrapped up in her case again and forgot me. _Ned set down the phone on his bed. She wasn't going to call not tonight. Should he call her? Was she doing something covert; something that a phone call could mess up? No he couldn't call and risk her life. He loved her too much for that. He walked to his dresser and opened the bottom drawer (which was filled with socks) he dug around for a moment, and found a little velvet black box. How many times had he tried to propose to her? Only for the date to be canceled, a mystery to pop up, or an interruption to their date; most of the time it was because of a mystery. Ned sighed opened the little box to reveal a small and simple ring. It had many tiny crystals in the band. It was practical like Nancy, but was elegant (for such a small budget) for the girl in Nancy. A sad smile tugged at his lips, remembering the last time he had tried to propose to Nancy. The waiter came up to her and handed her a phone. It was a call for another mystery; this mystery. Ned hoped she was alright. It drove him crazy having to wait at home to see whether she was alright or not. Waiting for her calls, praying for her safety, and missing her; Ned was sick of it all.

A dark shadow peered into Ned's room that night. It saw the ring and the sad smile. And strangely it felt compassion towards the boy. It decided to teach the girl a lesson.

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Help a newcomer here... sent me comments. If you send me comments I'll try (can't promise anything) to look at some of your stuff and comment. Ok? Thanks a ton.


	2. Chapter 2

"Nancy! You're back!" Nancy's dad stood up and put down the newspaper he had been reading.

"Hi daddy." Nancy embraced him warmly and kissed his cheek for extra measure.

"The case is solved already?" He asked perplexingly.

"Yeah." Nancy replied rather lamely.

"Does Ned know? You said you'd call him tonight."

Nancy blushed embarrassed all of a sudden.

"Oops?" Then her stomach growled, it wanted food.

"Hungry?" Her dad asked jokingly.

"Yeah I didn't want to stop for anything so last I ate was breakfast."

Nancy's dad hugged her again. "Go. Eat. Hannah will be glad to see… and feed you."

Nancy grinned and walked into the kitchen.

"Hannah?" She called.

Hannah was at the counter kneading some bread.

"Nancy!" She ran over and hugged Nancy with doughy hands.

"I couldn't wait to be home! So I drove straight through… and know my stomach is protesting." Nancy explained once let go.

Hannah nodded happily and walked back to her loaf.

"There's fruit in the fridge."

Nancy opened the fridge to find it full of fancy dishes.

"What-the?" She murmured, choosing a small red apple from the fruit drawer. "What's with the puddings, and stuff?"

Hannah swept a gray bang out of her eyes with her forearm. "That my dear is for… a benefit party that my Garden Club is holding. So keep your fingers out of it."

Nancy knew when people were lying, she was a detective for goodness sake! "Hannah? No it isn't is it?"

Hannah looked down at the bread and didn't respond. She started kneading it again. Nancy was exasperated with Hannah's reaction. She ate her apple, threw the core away, and walked into her room. There on her bed were her suitcases. _Dad must've brought them in. _She unpacked for a little while but soon grew tired of the monotonous chore. She looked at her wristwatch; it read 8:50. Nancy remembered her promise to Ned. She had promised to call him at 6! Well now was as good a time as any. He was at his house for winter break so she dialed that number. It rang for a while but to no reply.

"That's strange; Ned usually waits all night for my call." She told herself, but something felt wrong. She dialed again. Still there was no reply. She ended up calling his house ten times, all with no answer. The tenth time she had the sense to leave a message.

"Hey Ned, this is Nancy… I told you I'd call. Better late than never right? Hehe. Um… call me back ASAP." It was lame Nancy could admit that. But something still felt a little fishy there.

"Tomorrow I'll go visit Ned. He probably was just out with friends, after you TOTALLY spaced calling him." Nancy moved the suitcases onto the floor and changed into her pajamas.

She was going to bed and in the morning she'll just laugh at her reaction to a normal situation. Once ready to go to sleep Nancy climbed into her soft inviting bed. She was so tired, but couldn't stop thinking about those missed calls. There was something about it, something bad. Well, she couldn't do anything until morning so she might as well sleep. Slowly Nancy drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I really DON'T own these characters. Just using them for my own evil purposes *insert evil laughter here*.

Thanks to purple-pricess-x5. Believe it or not you are my 1st fan at all! So as the saying goes... "you always remember the first."

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The next morning Nancy got up extra early and finished unpacking. By the time she was done with that, showered, changed, and fed it was 9 am.

"I WAS hoping for an early start." She grumbled good-naturedly to herself getting into her Blue Roadster.

It was gray and chilly outside, and everything seemed to wait with anticipation for something. Perhaps the angels were holding of the storm so they could see Nancy's reaction clearly. Or perhaps not, whatever the case, a storm was brewing. Nancy didn't notice any of this though; she was too busy focusing on reasons that Ned didn't answer the phone.

"You make him sick with worry Nancy. It's about time he had some fun while you were away on a mystery. Besides his whole life doesn't revolve around you. How could he know that you were on your way home with the mystery in the bag?" She reasoned, trying desperately to quench her worries.

Nancy pulled up Ned's driveway and parked, for a moment she thought she might puke with nervousness. _What's wrong with me? I'm not scared of following criminals into top secret lairs, but I'm petrified to find out why Ned didn't answer a PHONE! _She thought sitting there a moment. Everything looked normal, as far as she could see. Nancy got out of the car reluctantly and headed to the front door. She knocked three times and waited. There was no answer. Nancy tried again. There still was no answer. After the third time Nancy retrieved the spare key the Nickerson's kept under their welcome mat. She unlocked the door, praying that Ned would be there and that if he was here then she could think of a quick excuse on why she used their spare key. The door opened with a slight creak revealing a very unpopulated house. The lights were all off, the blinds closed, and everything seemed to be holding their breath.

"Ned? It's Nancy. Where are you?" She called out.

Nancy walked in and left the door wide open.

"Ned? Are you home?" Nancy walked up the staircase and into his second-floor bedroom.

It was a mess, clothes flung everywhere, an unmade bed, and assorted junk piled up on the floor. What else could Nancy expect from a guy? She didn't see anything very unusual, but she rarely had ever been in Ned's room before. She felt like she intruding. But where could he be? Did he go back to Emerson? Did he fly off to Hawaii where Mr. and Mrs. Nickerson were staying for the winter? Was he running some errands? Nancy just couldn't be sure. She took out a sleek silver cell phone out of her pocket; she had a few phone calls to make.

Approximately 17 phone calls later Nancy had called every place her boyfriend might be only to come up with 17 places he wasn't. She was sitting on his bed timidly, and was coming close to biting a nail, a habit she had long since vanquished. _Where is he? _She thought over and over again. George would know what to do. Nancy perked up, she needed to call George and Bess, and maybe they'd be able to help. She dialed Bess's number praying that George would be over there already.

"Marvin residence, George speaking." A familiar tomboy voice picked up the telephone.

"George, come over to Ned's right away. He isn't back yet and he wasn't here last night. In other words… he's missing George!" Nancy's mind clicked right away, Ned WAS missing.

"Are you positive?" George hadn't seen the house, she didn't know.

"Yes." Nancy's voice wavered a little. "Bring Bess, we need to find out where he is."

George's end of the phone was silent for a moment, there were footsteps, and then soft talking that Nancy couldn't make out.

"Okay, Bess and I will be right over." George announced so suddenly Nancy almost dropped her cell phone.

Nancy hung up half relieved, half scared stiff. She lay down on Ned's bed, it was soft and Nancy was sorely tempted to doze off. She reached one hand under her pillow as she did every night and felt something under there. She pulled it out to expose a white starched envelope. On the front was the name **Nancy**.

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Note: Sorry if I got any of the facts wrong. It's late and I'm SO not a night person, in fact I think I'll go to bed now. See you whenever I get around to writing another chapter... of course reveiws MIGHT help me work on it a little faster. ;)


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I can only WISH I had created Nancy Drew and her friends... but I didn't. That honor goes to Carolyn Keene. So back off! ;_

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_Dear, Nancy_

_I knew you'd come looking for him. After last night's carelessness, he didn't want to see you. You make him worried Nancy. So worried I believe he's growing gray hair and gaining wrinkles. It's not good for him. So I'm taking him on a little vacation. Once you find him you can take him back. Oh, to find him it's going to be a little bit like a treasure hunt. Your first clue is this._

_With little admiration,_

Samantha Quick

Nancy must've read over the letter a thousand times. The clue in her hand was a police badge, but she didn't care about that. She couldn't believe that Samantha had kidnapped Ned! (He wouldn't go with her.) Since she had returned from Venice she had been careful about letting Samantha Quick follow her around; the spy was good!

"No wonder that Tazza wanted her to steal the sapphire for him." She moaned wretchedly. A car drove up the driveway, and Nancy hoped it would be Ned.

"Nancy?" George called out.

"You left the front door wide open." Bess added. "Are you here and okay?"

"I'm here in Ned's room." Nancy responded.

"So he's not back?" George asked, showing that she had thought he went to run errands and that Nancy was overreacting.

"No, and he won't be unless I find him." Nancy answered clearly annoyed at George.

She heard both girls thump up the stairs. Then Bess flew into the room and gave Nancy a bear hug.

"I knew you weren't exaggerating, you never exaggerate!" She whispered loudly in Nancy's ears, who winced at the loudness of it.

"I know he's missing." Nancy defended herself. "I have proof that's he's not coming back."

She handed George the note left by Ned's kidnapper. George read it and Bess tried to over George's tall shoulder but soon enough gave up.

"Oh." Was all George could say handing it back to Nancy.

"Who's Samantha Quick?" Bess inquired politely.

"She's this spy that I was pretending to be while I was at Venice… you knows. When I stole the sapphire? She's the one who called me at the Casa, and warned me about Ned?"

"Oh I hate her!" Bess remembered abruptly.

Nancy looked around the room sadly.

"I need to find him."

She looked down at the police badge.

"What does this clue mean? I've gone over and over it in my head and I can't figure it out."

Bess and George exchanged looks.

"Um, Nancy? The POLICE badge probably means the POLICE station." George pointed out bluntly, earning her a light shove from Bess.

Nancy nodded absentmindedly, "Yah it probably does. Thanks, I'm a little off my game today."

Bess bear hugged Nancy again, "With good reason. I'd be worried if you WEREN'T off your game."

"So let's go to the police station." Nancy stood up and the three of them hopped into Nancy's car (after locking Ned's door and hiding the key once again).

Nancy drove over to the station, only to find it roped off with yellow police tape.

"Wonder what's going on." George supposed.

"Maybe it has something to do with Samantha Quick." Nancy thought aloud.

"Then let's go in and see." Bess added.

"HALT!" A stout, clean-shaven police officer shouted running toward the girls. "You can't go in there!"

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Thanks once again to purple-princess-x5. I promise I'll look at some of your stuff and comment asap.

Oh and just to have fun I would like anyone who's read or reading this to email me what you think happens next. Kind of like a contest. The closest contestant gains brownie points! And maybe a spot in my next fanfict! (Wouldn't that be fun?) thanks for reading this you guys are great!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I wish I had invented Nancy Drew but I didn't Carolyn Keene did.

*Thanks to all my "favorite story" fans!! Luv ya!*

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Nancy and her friends stopped immediately, and by the time the officer reached them he was panting for air.

"Hi, I'm Nancy Drew." She held out her hand.

"Officer Blunt… to you." He gasped back.

"What happened here?" George demanded.

"Top…top…secret." He was still breathing heavily.

"Nancy is a famous detective!" Bess proclaimed, "She has access."

"Really?" The Officer Blunt stared at Nancy.

"I'm just and amateur detective." She defended herself then added. "I'm friends with Chief Officer McGinnis though."

The officer took a walkie-talkie out of his belt and held it up to his mouth.

"Chief this is Panther, speaking. A Nancy Drew is here to see you… she says you two are friends."

He listened for a bit before returning the walkie-talkie to its holder.

"You can go on in." He repeated rolling his eyes.

"Thank you." Nancy said truly grateful.

The three of them went over the police tape and into the virtually destroyed police station.

"Nancy! Over here." Officer McGinnis waved his arms down the West hallway.

They hurried over to him, he was holding a note.

"I was just calling your house." He explained. "This is for you."

"Thanks?" Nancy ripped open the envelope and pulled out the next letter. She read the contents out loud.

-Nancy

You're smarter than you seem. Ned thinks this is a dream. Why don't you stop for some ice cream? And blow off some steam.

You know who.

"Who is this wacko?" McGinnis inquired, his eyebrows scrunched together.

"Samantha Quick." Nancy filled in the details and McGinnis gave a low whistle.

"So she's playing a game with you because you took her job?"

"I don't know exactly, but it was hard and I rather that she had done it." Nancy remembered the labyrinth protected by robots. It had been difficult getting everywhere she needed to go to so she could steal the sapphire.

"Why else would she be doing this to you?" George retorted.

"Maybe **she **likes Ned!" Bess exclaimed rather naively.

"I doubt that." George huffed.

Nancy smiled; her friends were so different sometimes. She shook her head almost angrily. It was time for business she needed to find Ned.

"This clue is pretty easy…why?" Nancy looked at McGinnis half-hoping he'd have the answers.

He shrugged, he didn't know everything.

"We need to go the ice cream boutique." Nancy declared.

"Which one?" George asked, trying not to be too harsh on Nancy. "There are three in town and even more outside of town."

Nancy sighed and walked over to a smashed in window.

"I don't know." She admitted.

"Let's look at the clues again." Bess suggested.

Nancy nodded and read it out loud again. "Nancy, you're smarter than you seem. Ned thinks this is a dream. Why don't you stop for ice cream? And blow of some steam…" She trailed off remembering a date she had gone on with Ned.

Nancy had just gotten back from Hawaii solving a case on the paradise island. Ned needed reassuring that she wasn't in love with the Hardy boys, and so they visited the newest ice cream boutique in town. It was designed to look like a railroad station and even had a train model crawling along the walls. She ordered a Banana Cream Shake, Ned received a Strawberry Dream Cone. _Wait! Ned ordered a dream cone, ice cream boutique, and train steam! What was that place's name? _

"George? Do you remember the name to that little ice cream parlor with a railroad theme? It has a little train crawling along the walls, train tracks painted onto the floors, and signaling lights all over?"

George's face screwed up as she tried to think.

"Oh you mean the place with the yummiest smoothies? It's called Western Ice Cream." Bess answered.

"Of course you would know." George teased.

Bess automatically put a hand onto her stomach.

Nancy whipped around from the window.

"That's where we need to go."

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So this week has been crazy for me. Big Projects, testing, an AP exam coming up... but it's all good. Because I STILL posted this chapter through it!


	6. Chapter 6

Nancy walked into Western Ice Cream to find it a ghost town; nobody was there, not a soul.

"Strange." Nancy murmured to herself.

She walked over to the booth where she and Ned had sat all those many months ago. _I miss you Ned, you don't have a clue how much I miss you!_ She didn't see another envelope, and didn't know where it could be.

"It's not here." She told the others.

George looked under the table, and shook her head. Nancy gave her a strange look, _didn't George trust her?_ George looked at the ground silently ashamed, cheeks burning crimson. Bess walked up with a pink smoothie.

"Did you pay for that?" George remarked a little harsher than Nancy thought was necessary.

"Yah, I put it in the cash register myself." Bess looked around eyes wide. "Guys I think I found it."

"Where?" Nancy asked looking wildly around.

"There." Bess pointed to the fast moving train that snaked the walls. "I think we have to stop the train somehow."

George popped her neck and replied confidently, "That's easy."

Nancy watched the train fly over the tracks a white envelope duct taped to it.

"It's going faster than normal George." Nancy advised.

George stood by one of the tracks until the long black train approached. She reached out to grab it but only caught air.

"Wow, it IS fast."

Nancy had to keep herself from gloating about how right she was.

Nancy grabbed a salt shaker and aimed it at the engine. She threw it quite accurately but the train sped away.

"Darn." She kept herself from saying anything more.

Bess set down her smoothie and walked up to the customer desk and pushed a big red button on the counter. The train stopped right in front of Nancy.

"Cheater." George good-naturedly teased.

Bess shrugged and retrieved her smoothie, while Nancy yanked off the envelope.

**-Nancy**

**Time to go back to school. Leave your friends at the pool. So they can get cool. While we make Ned drool.**

**Love, You know who**

As Nancy read this out loud a sinking bowling ball settled in her gut.

"You can't go alone!" Bess shrieked, "Samantha Quick will kill you so she can marry Ned herself!"

George elbowed her and Bess shut up immediately. Though it looked like Nancy hadn't noticed, she did. She made a mental note to find out what all that was about, but later.

"I have to leave you guys so I can find Ned." Nancy reasoned, mostly with herself. "I need to go back to Ned's college! And go somewhere where guys … drool?"

George and Bess both raised their eyebrows in perfect unison.

"No I think it means Waverly Academy, Nancy." Bess gently explained. "The snack bar to be precise."

"But leave us here." George added not going to be outdone.

"Right the snack bar at Waverly… but why? And how come you knew that?"

"The note says back to school, implying you've been there recently. The last school you went to was Waverly Academy right?"

"Yeah…" Nancy wasn't convinced yet.

"You need to leave us at a pool, which isn't far from Waverly according to one of your letters. You wrote that in the winter they turned it into an ice skating rink." George was mildly disturbed to see her friend not getting it. In normal cases she'd be the one explaining everything.

"What's Ned's favorite food? You know the stuff that makes him 'drool'." Bess hinted hoping Nancy would figure it out and continue as if this was a typical case (which it definitely wasn't).

Nancy thought back to high school, it was her school's team against Ned's. She was part of the debate team and was helping out at their bake sale. She was at the register when a cute football player from the other side bought something. _What was it? _ He noticed her gawking at him and smiled easily.

"I love these types of cookies, they make me practically drool." He explained.

Nancy nodded and entered the cookies into the machine not daring to look up, and before she gained the courage to look up he was gone.

"He loves chocolate chip cookies, the exact kind they have at the snack bar at Waverly Academy." Nancy spoke softly.

Bess hugged her impulsively.

"Come on let's go then!" George impatient as ever exclaimed.

Nancy quickly called her dad and explained the whole situation (as did Bess and George) with their parent's blessing's they stopped and packed their bagged and headed to Waverly academy; hoping that this would be the last clue to find Ned.

It was a long car trip; Bess got carsick after the second day and made everyone's lives miserable. They checked into a small cozy motel and left Bess there with their luggage. Then George was dropped off at the swimming pool. Nancy drove on to Waverly Academy alone.

"Nancy! What are you doing here?" Rachel looked up from her studies.

"Where's your twin?" Nancy avoided the question.

"She went to the library to do some studying."

Nancy nodded and sighed, she sat on the edge of Rachel's bed.

"Can I help in any sort of way? I mean you helped us so what can we do to help you?"

Nancy looked Rachel in the eye.

"I'm not supposed to be here, the headmistress doesn't know." She explained quickly. "I need you to look for a white envelope labeled Nancy at the snack bar."

Rachel tilted her head in interest.

"It's for a case."

"Okay…" With that Rachel got up and left the room to find Nancy's clue.

Nancy lay on the bed, tired of worrying yet not able to do anything else. She closed her eyes, meaning only to shut them for a moment; but she fell into a light doze instead.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Nancy Drew.

This chapter took me a while. Things start to heat up from here. :) Enjoy... and please comment.

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"Nancy!" An urgent whisper woke Nancy up. "Here's the envelope; but it's no longer safe here. Your car is right outside waiting for you."

Nancy sat up alarmed, "Thank you Rachel… wait, Kim. What are you doing here?"

Kim sighed, "Rachel is distracting the headmistress who's looking for the owner of that car. I'm supposed to give this to you and wish you the best of luck."

Nancy took the white envelope and smiled brightly.

"Couldn't have done it without the two of you."

Kim stood up and walked to the door, peering out a crack.

"Let's go."

Nancy followed Kim down the staircase and through several halls until she got to the main foyer.

"Thank you again." She hugged Kim gratefully.

Kim didn't struggle but she did point out, "You need to go before someone walks in on us."

Nancy raced to her car and hoping that it would start. After a little rumbling the car was operational and Nancy was able to drive back to the pool to pick George up.

"How did it go?" George asked coolly, Nancy suspected she was barely holding back some information.

"Fine."

"Nancy, you need to tell me more than that!"

"What is it George?"

George giggled girlishly.

"I went swimming for a bit, and then I dried off in the sun."

Nancy was tired of games, "George…"

"Well this cute tanned macho man asked me out. I said yes and we went to dinner."

Nancy rolled her eyes in disbelief; she was searching for Ned while her friends were going out on dates? She didn't know what to say.

"You sound like Bess."

It was George's turn to roll her eyes.

"I do not, your just jealous."

"I'm not jealous I'm looking for my wonderful, understanding Ned while you're going out with Mr. Hot Lifeguard."

"That's not fair Nancy and you know it!"

Nancy ignored her, she needed to drive not get angry at her best friend. It was silent in the car for several moments before George broke the ice.

"What did the next clue say?"

"I don't know."

George looked at Nancy wide-eyed. "You mean you haven't opened it?"

"No I was too busy hiding from the Headmistress. You open it, I'm driving."

George picked the envelope out of Nancy's pocket and opened it.

**-Nancy**

**Tired of our game? Wow, you must be lame. Things will never be the same. If you look for lions that are tame.**

**With no admiration at all, Samantha Quick**

Nancy parked the car at the motel and rushed into the bathroom. George followed slower and Bess got up from the cushiony beds. They both heard some gagging and a toilet flushing.

"Poor dear." Bess muttered under her breath.

"It was the clue." George held up the clue.

Bess grabbed it and read it the letter silently. Nancy didn't come out, so both Bess and George went to bed quietly. There was nothing else to be done.

Nancy sat on the floor by the toilet. The sentence: _Things will never be the same_; kept repeating in her head. She wished Ned were here to comfort her. He'd know what to do. She leaned back on the bathtub; she was exhausted but couldn't fall asleep. She was starving yet couldn't choke down food. How did Samantha know how she was feeling? Was she nearby? Maybe she was acting as Bess or George… maybe that's why. Nancy let the thought go out. If she couldn't trust her friend's who could she trust? Finally Nancy's fatigue caught up with her and she curled up in a tight ball on the bathroom floor and fell asleep.

The next morning the girls packed their stuff and drove home. None of them knew what Samantha was talking about. They had decided to ask Nancy's father, since he was a very intelligent Lawyer. They had driven for two days and were working on the last day when Nancy saw it. There off the main road, was a circus. _Lions are tame in the circus! _She thought eagerly.

"Where are we going?" George asked as Nancy turned off the main road.

"To solve the clue."

George smiled inwardly; this was the Nancy she knew. They piled out of the car and walked to the big tent.

"Ticket please." A serious middle-aged man practically barked.

"Could I buy one first?" Nancy irately replied.

The man handed her several tickets in exchange for $10.

"Have fun at the circus." He mocked.

Nancy walked to the biggest tent ignoring him. George and Bess had to run to catch up. They found seats near the exit just in time for it to start.

"I'll be back." Nancy whispered before sneaking out and towards the animal cages. There in the back corner were the lions. Nancy saw an envelope taped to the back of the cage. She'd have to climb in to get it.

She looked around her, good nobody was around. She unlocked the cage and quickly jumped in. The not-so-tame-after-all lions roared at the intruder. Nancy felt weak in the knees, and yanked the letter off the wall. Lions approached her from all sides.

"Help." She rasped her voice almost completely gone.

Somebody came but it wasn't a friend. It was Samantha Quick! She was wearing the same costume Nancy had been forced to wear whenever she had business with Taza.

"Having fun Nancy?" She smirked.

Nancy sat down defeated, she was going to be eaten by lions; and if she survived that she would never survive Samantha Quick. The lions had stopped growling and started to leave Nancy alone. This was an opportunity she had to take. Nancy tried to open the door; but it was locked.

"Looks like there's a new lion in the cage." Samantha taunted.

Nancy took a bobby pin out of her hair and fit it into the lock. Samantha was too busy trying to put Nancy's spirits down to notice her insistent jiggling. By the time Nancy stepped out of the cage though Samantha was there. She grinned lopsidedly and whacked Nancy in the face. Nancy stumbled for a moment but then was out cold. A steady trickling of blood ran down her cheek.


	8. Chapter 8

Nancy woke up with a start. It was nighttime she noticed, sitting up. She touched her head gingerly and felt her aching forehead; she was bleeding but only a little bit. Nancy stood up shakily; this was a new situation for her. Usually when she woke up she was in a trap or there was someone beside her. But her she was in the middle of a circus field with a lack of traps or people. _Where were Bess and George? _Nancy stumbled towards her car, only to find the keys gone; but taped to the driver's wheel was a familiar envelope. Nancy panicked remembering the one in the lion's cage. She bolted back and searched everywhere. She even stared into the horrific lion's cage. But it was nowhere to be found. Nancy hurried to the car once more and grabbed the one note she did have. It was different than the others. Usually the handwriting was elegant and thought through, but on the envelope Nancy could barely read the chicken scratched letters. She opened it then stopped. Why had Samantha appeared yesterday, she didn't for all the other's what was IN the lost note? Nancy had a strange feeling that something was about to change in Samantha Quick's game. Her unsteady finger opened the note and she read it intently.

-Nancy

You were SO close to the end. So close to saving your "friend". But tripped on the last bend. So go on and mend. But I must warn you. Bess and George are here too. And they are so blue. Think carefully what you must do. Now where is the clue? Check your email "send".

Cordially, Samantha Quick

Nancy knew there was something wrong about this letter. Usually they weren't this long. And she only used one rhyme, in this she used two! Nancy got into her car and put her head against the driver's wheel. Samantha had taken everything from her, her boyfriend and her two best friends. Tears silently slipped down her nose as she shuddered with emotion. Time passed as Nancy sat in that car. She was tired, worried, strained, miserable, and bleeding. The circus was deserted; in fact the whole world was asleep. She was left alone.

It was morning when Nancy lifted her head off the stirring wheel; she in her weariness had fallen asleep. She read the note again hoping for a clue she had missed. It talked about her healing; it mentioned her friends, and her email. The letter she realized said she could give up but her friends were in trouble now too; also that her next clue was on her email. With new vigor Nancy started the car and drove to the nearest internet café.

"Excuse me?" Nancy asked a nearby waitress. "Do you have any computer's here I could use?"

The dirty blond waitress eyed her shoddy, torn up, and blood stained clothes.

"Yes…" She answered hesitantly. "The public computers are over in the corner."

"Thank you." Nancy meant every word.

"Would you like a drink?"

Nancy eyed the chalk menu across the room.

"Just water please."

Nancy snatched a computer and logged into her email. She didn't have any new messages. Nancy reread the cursed correspondence which had brought her so much pain. _Check your emails… send. _Nancy looked in her sent messages folder. The last thing she had sent was… Nancy saw a paper cup full of water right next to her. She chugged it willingly, allowing herself a moment's break. She looked at the last email she sent. It was to Ned, but she couldn't have sent it! It was sent yesterday! Nancy opened it and read the next clue.

Nancy.

I see you received my dispatch. I hope you can catch. This clue just came out of the batch. And you and it are a good match. Have a nice day.

-Samantha Quick

Nancy hit her head in the keyboard repeatedly out of frustration.

"Excuse me?" A familiar voice rang. "We can't allow customers to do things like that to our computers."

Nancy turned to see the attractive waitress from before.

"Sorry." She mumbled. "I'm usually a lot calmer than this. I'm having a bad… couple of weeks."

She waitress shook her head merrily.

"You don't recognize me do you? Well, I know who you are Miss Nancy Drew."

Nancy thought for a moment, the waitress had a faint trace of British in her voice. Yet, nobody came to mind.

"I'm Jane Penvellyn… the bratty child that made my mother believe she was a monster so that we could return to the United States?"

Nancy's eyes widened and she reexamined the waitress once again.

"Jane? But you were a child..."

Jane chuckled.

"That was some years ago, I remember you were the only one who'd play games with me."

Nancy tilted her head and smiled remembering.

"I was so scared of that Manor, and the curse about it." Nancy reminisced out loud.

"It was my fault you were." Jane protested, and then she lowered her voice. "I still am spooked by the old place."

"So what are you doing back in the US? And how's your mom?"

"I'm a foreign exchange student. This job is how I can pay for it out of my own pocket. Mum is fine, happily married I suppose. Mrs. Drake is still running the show."

Nancy patted her shoulder reassuringly.

"It was sure nice seeing you again. Anyways I've got to get back to my case."

Jane perked up a bit.

"A case? You mean you're still a detective? Can I help and in any sort of way?"

Nancy's smile froze on her face. Could she really afford another companion who'd just get captured anyway? Or could she help her and be done with it?

"What is made in a batch?"

Jane thought about it for a moment before an angry yell called her back to work.

"I'll think about and tell you what I come up with. Stay here and rest until then… you look awful."

Nancy logged off the computer and stiffly walked over to a comfy couch where she sat down and pondered the question herself. She had just fallen into a fitful sleep when Jane woke her again.

"I know what it is!" She hissed. "But the manager hates time-wasters so you need to leave now."

Nancy stood up quickly and straightened her clothes.

"Cookies." Was the last thing Jane said before practically shoving Nancy out the door of the restaurant.

Nancy smiled. She knew what the clue was then! She checked her watch it was 1:30. Would she make it tonight? At least, she would try.


	9. Chapter 9

Nancy drove like she had never driven before. Even the cops didn't dare to stop her, for fear she was in an emergency. She drove all the way home remembering a day long ago…

_She was 13 years old and the last day of school had just gotten out. Nancy, Bess, and George were running inside noisily; like a stampede of excited, hungry elephants. _

"_Girls, you're home. I made some cookies would you like one?" Mrs. Gruen the housekeeper kindly let them grab handful of her famous snicker doodles. _

"_Thanks Hannah." They all mumbled. _

_It was then when a giant rock came sailing into the kitchen window shattering it to bits. Everyone was scared but okay. After checking herself over Nancy chased the kid down and made him apologize and also took his name and phone number. Nancy received her first taste for a mystery that day; and worked hard to become what she was today. _

Why would Samantha Quick refer to that memory? She didn't even know Ned back then. Was it because she had Bess and George too? And how had she found out about that? It was a long time before Italy. Finally. She had reached home. Nancy raced into the kitchen where a plate of cookies sat out on the counter. Where was Hannah? Nancy remembered the memory and reluctantly ate a cookie. It tasted just like Hannah's; was she okay? A rock smashed through the window, just as it had so long ago. Nancy didn't pause for a second; she raced outside and sprinted towards her car. The culprit's car started driving away, and Nancy followed it. It wasn't speeding, it wasn't avoiding her. It was as if Samantha WANTED her to pursue the vehicle! She really didn't have any experience with that, most cars just speed away. So she followed it as closely as she could. It led her out of River Heights, not that Nancy was all that surprised and out in the country. The road was curvy and narrow; and to be honest she was a bit frightened of it. What would Ned do if she died trying to save him? Finally the van stopped at a small rustic cottage. Samantha Quick stepped out of the van, and smiled wickedly at Nancy.

"You were foolish to even try."

Then Samantha pulled out a gun from the car. She aimed at Nancy and fired three shots. Each one hit a tire and Nancy was stranded just like that. She aimed at Nancy who immediately leapt out from the car.

"Why?" Nancy croaked.

"Why did you take my job?" Samantha shot right back.

"I had a case to solve and Tazza was right at the middle of it. I was doing MY job. Why are you SO upset about it anyway?" Nancy was genuinely curious.

"That was the job that was going to help my reputation, and raise me up in the world." Samantha answered without flinching.

"Why did you kidnap Ned? He was no part of this."

Samantha snickered a little before answering.

"He's been trying to propose to you for weeks you simple-minded fool! You've been far too busy too even notice the poor boy."

Nancy's eyes grew wide and she felt a sinking feeling in her usually reliable gut.

"Oh, Ned." She whispered before speaking up. "So the reason you kidnapped Ned was to show me I wasn't paying much attention to him?"

Samantha snorted, gun still aimed at Nancy. "Hardly. I kidnapped him to teach what it means to have your dreams ripped from you."

"Okay so I know what it feels like… it's over." Nancy half-hoped she would just bring Ned out and let them leave; even if it were on foot.

"Oh Nancy, after years of hunting down people like me do you really think I'd let it end like that?"

Nancy felt her heart drop into her stomach and she scanned for an escape route; just in case.

"Get into the house."

Nancy walked slowly towards to the house, her muscles tense. Samantha followed close behind, gun against Nancy's back. They walked into a quaint kitchen and Nancy was led into a rickety wooden chair by a small dust ridden window.

"Why did you take that note at the circus? And why take Bess and George?" Nancy couldn't help but ask.

"Because you left them alone and it was irresistible. The note would've led you here. Though I decided to let our game play out a little longer."

Nancy glared at her captor when she called their activities "a game". It was silent for a while, as if both girls had run out of things to ask. There was a truck rumbling up the driveway and Nancy thought of a plan. A sly smile crept up secretly on her lips.

"I'm getting a drink of water." Nancy announced as she stood up and walked over to the sink.

Right by the sink was a rack of mugs and she spent some time choosing one. When no one came in Samantha frowned and left the house with her gun. Nancy knew she had only minutes so she raced up the staircase she had seen upon entering. There on the bed bound in bed sheets was Ned! Nancy felt her heart and lungs explode in joy. But she had to hurry so quickly she untied him and motioned for him to be quiet. He looked relieved, sad, hungry, and weak. All Nancy really wanted to do was tell him how much he meant to her. But they were in danger and so that would have to wait. She peeked out the window and saw Samantha talking to a familiar-looking man with Bess and George tied together on the side.

"Can you help tie these sheets together?" She whispered to Ned.

He nodded feebly and Nancy guessed he had not been fed very well these past weeks. Together they made a long rope, which Nancy hoped was strong enough. They waited in silence, holding hands until the group had walked out of view. Nancy looped it around a bedpost and told Ned to shimmy down it. He did landing safely and took off towards Samantha's car. Nancy heard Samantha enter the house and screech in shock. She slid down the rope hoping it wasn't too late and ran towards the car. Samantha came outside and saw her. There was a shot and Nancy felt pain in her left shoulder. She hopped in the white car, holding her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Ned asked locking the doors.

"We need to get Bess and George." Nancy replied unlocking them again.

He nodded and started the car; they drove straight at the man who was guarding the girls. He didn't move a muscle but the girl's dashed into the back seat.

"Idiot!" Samantha's voice could be heard as she ran towards her car.

Bess started weeping into George's shoulder uncontrollably, and George did nothing to help her. Ned speed away with spy car agility. Ignoring her own wounds Nancy looked around at the damage she had done and vowed to never get her friends harmed like this ever again.

When they arrived at Nancy's house Hannah took care of everything. It turned out that she was at the Supermarket downtown hunting for some Brazilian nut butter. An ambulance was called for both Nancy (who had lost a lot of blood), and Ned (who was so malnutrition that he was sick). Bess was washed up and George had a long talk with Nancy's dad. All in all they were safe. Everything would be back to normal in no time; except for one thing. Nancy had no intention of ever solving a case again…


	10. Chapter 10

3 Months Later…

Nancy inspected herself in the mirror. Apart from the neon pink cast she had to wear she was healed. A welcome car horn beeped at her. Nancy grinned and ran downstairs and into her father.

"Slow down or you're going to fall down the stairs and have to be sent back to the hospital." He chuckled.

Nancy kissed him on the cheek in reply and grabbed a sweater off the coat rack. She raced to Ned's car and hopped in. All was silent in the car, except for a pop song on the radio; which Ned had turned on low. They drove to a nice sit-down restaurant in town that branded the name _The Paradise Island. _Inside they found it a pleasant place with a luau theme. They were quickly seated and Nancy shivered with anticipation what was coming.

"Hi, I'm Sonny Joon your waiter." A man explained to them.

Nancy bit her lip to hold back the questions that would come spewing out otherwise. This was the mysterious Sonny Joon! They ordered their drinks quickly, and reviewed the menus just as rapidly.

"Nancy I have to ask you something, and if I wait for dessert or anything else that might be a little more romantic you'll have to leave again. So please listen." Ned began.

Nancy's heart stopped with fright. What if it wasn't what she thought it was about.

"Nancy we've known each other for a while now… since your first mystery. We've been through a lot together and had a wonderful friendship along the way. But awhile ago I realized I… I love you Nancy." He paused.

Nancy jumped in feeling that it was the right moment to say, "Oh, Ned I love you too!"

Just then Sonny appeared and handed them their waters.

"What would you like to order?" He rolled his eyes most annoyingly.

Nancy ordered a chicken plate and Ned a steak dinner. Then Sonny left, leaving the two of them in silence.

"Marry me." Ned pulled out the simplistic most elegant ring Nancy had ever seen.

Nancy knew the answer, she loved Ned. But after what she had done to him? How could he love after that?

"I-I love you. That's why I can't hurt you. I caused Samantha to kidnap you. I don't deserve someone as wonderful as you."

Ned looked hurt.

"I can't imagine life without you Nancy Drew. Please."

Nancy really wanted to say yes. She loved this football star that had helped her and tuck by her through thick and thin. _Besides_, she reasoned, _I'm not a detective anymore. No one will want to hurt everyone I love anymore._

"Yes." She breathed.

Ned sighed in relief, and so they kissed.


End file.
